Teeth Implants In Thailand – The Real Cost Of Dental Tourism

When it comes to dental (teeth) implants, Thailand is undoubtedly a favoured destination of many bargain-hunting Aussies seeking cut-price dental treatments. In some cases, dental surgery in Thailand can be as much as 60% cheaper when compared to back home. Add to this the fact that nearly 1 in 3 of us (a little over 7 million) avoided going to the dentist because of the high associated costs and it’s easy to see why 10,000 people travelled abroad for dental treatment last year alone.

Throw in a nice hotel for recovery, plenty of sunshine and a change of scenery and it’s a no-brainer – or so you might think!

Sadly, as the number of people seeking out teeth implants in Thailand is increasing, so too are the number of people returning from their dental vacation with less than satisfactory outcomes. So, in addition to receiving poor initial dental work, the dental traveller is also facing another bill from the dentist back home to correct the problem (if they even can).

Cut-price dental implants in Thailand inevitably means poor quality

Okay, so we’ve already stated that Thailand doesn’t have the monopoly on poor dentists and there are in fact some highly experienced and creditable dentists who have performed multiple dental implant surgeries without a hitch. However, also as stated earlier, they aren’t the ones offering eye-watering cheap prices.

More often than not, Thai dentists offering bargain-basement prices are usually the ones who…

• Use lesser-known implants or older implant designs because they are cheaper to buy
• Have limited chair side experience in dental implant restorations and
• Aren’t trained in, or don’t use the latest technologies and techniques

So what does this means for the patient?

Quite simply, they are putting themselves at unnecessary risk. A greater risk of a lengthy and uncomfortable experience, a greater risk of dental implant failure; and a greater risk of infection.

As a top tip – if you are considering a low-cost dentist in Thailand, at the very least you need to ask the questions about experience, training and the type of dental implant used. If they choose to skirt around the subject or simply dismiss it out of hand, then say, “thanks but no thanks” and walk away.

Teeth implants – A lack of time for pre and follow-up treatment

What often happens with people looking to undergo teeth implants in Thailand is that they take a 2-week vacation. That’s not because they want it to be a holiday – it’s a serious dental treatment after all. Instead, it can simply be difficult to book out more time because personal, work or life commitments often get in the way.

The problem with this is that an individual may require pre-treatments such as a bone graft or a sinus lift. These procedures are often ‘rushed’ through by the dentist to fit in with the patient’s time restraints. Clearly, this isn’t an ideal situation.

In addition, when a dental implant is placed into the jaw, a period of recovery time is needed to enable the bone to fuse with the implant. This is a vital part of the process and can take several months depending upon the individual.

More often than not, if problems occur, they do so during this time. But normally, that’s long after the patient has returned home. As such, a whole host of reasons such as cost and time dictate that jumping back on a flight back to Bangkok simply isn’t an option.

Inevitably (and normally out of desperation) they contact their local dentist who is left to try and fix the problem. Often this is done with limited or zero knowledge of what the dentist in Thailand has actually carried out.

As a top tip – Always look at what recourse you have when seeking teeth implants. Thailand dentists worth their salt should at least guarantee ongoing dental work for a period of time. If they do, then it may be worth your time and costs to book a return flight to rectify the issue.

A language barrier

You could argue that most dentists offering teeth implants in Thailand can communicate sufficiently in English so there is no real problem with speaking the language. However, the best dental implant dentists are the ones who really listen to the patient’s requirements in order to incorporate those needs into a customised treatment plan. Often these smaller details can become ‘lost in translation’ particularly when English isn’t the dentist’s mother tongue.

As a top tip – Take time to find out if English is widely spoken by all staff in your chosen Thai dental clinic. This way, you won’t be stuck when you really need to get something across.

As you can see, there are many problems or risks that you may encounter when seeking teeth implants abroad that you shouldn’t find back home here in Australia. But if you are still very much swayed by the cost of teeth implants – Thailand-bound passengers should always carry out thorough investigation first and don’t be guided by bargain-basement implant prices.

Alternatively, if you feel that an implant restoration is a difficult enough choice as it is, without having to worry about travelling abroad for teeth implant treatment in Thailand, then the team at Digital Dental Implants in Sydney would be happy to talk to you. Using the latest digital technology, we’re one of the leading practitioners of dental implant restoration here in Sydney.

Call today at (02) 8294 5812 to book a consultation and let us put you at ease.